Online Burol: Taking Internet Convenience to the Next Level

With the invention of the Internet, so many things can be done without leaving the comfort of your desk. You can now shop, sell items, trade stocks, send mail, and pay bills with a click of the mouse. With social networking sites, you don't need to be sociable in order to meet people. Almost anything can be done on the Internet. And now, it seems this virtual city of cyberspace has just had another occupant and has taken Internet convenience to another level.

I was browsing through the local newspaper last week and was more than surprised to see an ad in the obituary section of the paper. “ONLINE BUROL (Online Wake)” it said. So, it seems that now, you don't need to leave your desk to visit a wake. Strange yet interesting.

I'm not really sure how this thing works. I assume that a site is dedicated to a deceased person and a visitor simply enters the website and sign the guestbook. Perhaps they placed an online multi-player mahjong or card game (a crucial part of wakes here in the Philippines). I don't know.

A concept like this has its good and bad points.

Negative:

-It makes people lazy.

-It could take away the solemnity of the occasion.

-When the family of the deceased is grieving, it usually helps to give a kind work and make them feel that their deceased was loved. Hugs and pats on the back help, too. You couldn't do these things over the net.

-You can't see the corpse. Pictures may be posted, but it's not the same thing.

-A wake is a social gathering where people comfort each other and remember the deceased. You can't do that if you're sitting in front of a monitor.

Positive:

-It's convenient.

-Less hassle. You don't need to worry about food, flowers, or location.

-People from out of town or abroad don't have to travel all the way to where the wake is held.

-You don't need to send flowers.

-It's not as depressing. When you go to a wake with people sobbing and weeping, you can't help but take that depression with you. There's possibly less chances of that happening in cyberspace. If you end up crying anyway, at least nobody gets to see you.

Several weeks ago, my grandmother, Nanay, passed away. She was 85. I was unable to fly back to Davao for the wake and funeral. Seeing this ad made me think “Hm... wouldn't it be nice if Nanay had an online wake so that I could at least show my support to my relatives in Davao?”

At the moment, I'm having mixed feelings for this online wake thing. But I do give credit to the company for being able to come up with this.